Tim GideonArchos 5 Internet TabletBesides the half-baked Android implementation on the latest Archos 5 Internet Tablet, not much has changed from last year's device, and the touch-screen PMP competition is only getting tougher.

Sleek design. Huge, beautiful, high-res screen. Built-in Wi-Fi, browser. On-screen home button for one-click Main Menu access. No need for stylus. Available in large capacities.

Cons

Expensive. Touch-screen interface is not as sophisticated as those of competitors. Apps aren't well-executed. UI could stand to be streamlined—requires too many clicks at times.

Bottom Line

Besides the half-baked Android implementation on the latest Archos 5 Internet Tablet, not much has changed from last year's device, and the touch-screen PMP competition is only getting tougher.

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet may look familiar, and for good reasonit very closely resembles, in appearance and name, last year's touch-screen Archos 5. The primary difference is significant, however: Archos has replaced its old operating system with Google's Android 1.5. When browsing music, video, and photo menus, the experience is more or less identical to what you get with the original Archos 5, but you can feel the Android presence in the main menu, which is dominated by Android apps. So does Android make the Archos 5 a better device? Yes and no. It's nice to have the apps, but in our tests, many of them didn't work very well. In addition, time is a factor here: The touch-screen PMP competition has become a lot more intense in the past year.

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The device is available in three capacities: A 32GB version ($379.99), which is flash-based, and 160GB ($399.99) and 500GB ($499.99) players, which are hard-drive-based. Dimensions vary depending on whether you have the flash or the hard-drive device. The former measures 3.1 by 5.7 by 0.4 inches (HWD), weighing in at 6.4 ounces, while the latter is 3.1 by 5.7 by 0.8 inches (HWD), and 10.1 ounces. The big, beautiful 4.8-inch, 800-by-480-pixel touch screen, which is the same on all three players, is identical to the previous player's display. Mediocre earbuds, a USB sync cable, an instruction manual, and a DVR-station adapter (an optional DVR station, which lets you connect the device to your cable box and adds DVR functionality, is sold separately for $100) are included in the package. File support remains unchanged and wireless compatibility has been upgraded from 802.11b/g to 802.11 b/g/n.

Since we've previously reviewed the Archos 5 and Google Android 1.5, I'll cover what's different here. (Click over to those reviews if you want more information.) First off, if you're looking for a complete UI makeover or a full-blown version of Android, you won't find it here. Basically, the when you're dealing with your own content, the menu system looks the same as it did before. Archos has simply used Androidalbeit its own flavor of the OSas a shell.

The main screen is dominated by small icons for Android apps, but those familiar with Android 1.5 will notice a few omissions. This is because rather than offering the standard array of apps that come with Android or that can be found in the Android Market, Archos has chosen to do away with some of them (like those that require a camera, for instance, since the tablet doesn't have one) and replace them with Archos-friendly apps. Also instead of the Android Market, you get the Archos-designed AppsLib Store. Compared to Apple's App Store with tens-of-thousands of titles, the Archos store with its 500-or-so apps is a lot less impressive. And many of the apps are user-generated; while this certainly beats the Zune Marketplace's practically non-existent collection of apps, many of them lack the grace and polish of those developed for the iPhone or iPod touch.

The Craigslist app, craigsphone, for instance, works well from the standpoint of menu organization, but it runs into trouble with its thin rows of selectable options. In my tests, I often selected the wrong item. The Browser app works well, however, and because of this, the need for a discrete Craig's list app is pretty much eradicated. The Twitter app, Twidroid has similar problems: The layout is okay, but the touch screen doesn't work very well with the app. Also, in my tests, apps often quit for no reason, despite the player receiving a strong Wi-Fi signal. Basically, the app experience can't hold a candle to that of an iPhone or an iPod touch.

As with past Archos PMPs, you'll need to download and pay for plug-ins in order to utilize some of the player's most attractive features, like HD video. Unlike the Zune HD, however, which only offers HD on another display via its video output, the Archos 5 has a screen that can support HD viewing. There's also an embedded GPS receiver that includes an app that features 3D photos of landmarks, but again, activating the 3D feature of the GPS costs extra (and it won't be available in the U.S. until early 2010), though you do get a free 7-day trial.

The software changes are significant from the Archos 5 to the Internet Tablet, but the overall user experience is very similar. With new competitors like the Zune HD, the PMP battle has become more intense. Both the iPod touch and the Zune HD offer better touch screens than the Archos 5, which doesn't support multitouch; it only respondsand sometimes not as wellto taps. That said, if copious storage and a super high-resolution LCD are the most important features for you, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet is certainly worth considering. And at its high capacities, it's basically a portable hard drive with an awesome HD screen, so it's easy to forgive the half-baked Android implementation and the touch screen's shortcomings. But for anyone who wants a player that can be loaded with tons of useful apps, this one is likely to disappoint.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet

Bottom Line: Besides the half-baked Android implementation on the latest Archos 5 Internet Tablet, not much has changed from last year's device, and the touch-screen PMP competition is only getting tougher.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet

Archos 5 Internet Tablet

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